Oyster harvesting apparatus



Nov. 21, 1944.

J. M. JURISICH oYsTER HARvEs'ING APPARATUS Filed July 6, 1943 INVENToR. A

. J/wly/VYQT, JAA/viale? 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 Nv.21, 1944. J M www i 2,363,251

OYSTER HARVESTING APPARATUS E Y 40' .95 @5 J 35' WW1/12V 1 n/L nfn gpln an 1L@ In@ nl @Twan 'Fuv v5L @QL 1L@ 11 @mgl/.@3711 @amig `\n r W' lI ULI ua ULE/ 5U LJf J LIL/OU )L- f :z- V

E INVENTOR: 36" /J (Jwayy 916.

- r11 l l A or understood from the following Patented Nov. 21, 1,944`

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE A l g Vr 22,363,2251751; y ovs'rER HARvEsTmGAPPARATVUs n i .7.JosephMichel Juri'sich, Newl Orleans, La.k epplicationniys,194s,seria1N0.'493,652 I comms. (orar-55) I This invention relates tomeans forjharvestng oysters-from oyster bedsin'coastal Waters and other usual situationS, gfldv has for an object to provide anl extremely simple apparatus' for -this purpose which will have novel features of construction', particularly inthe conveyor and meansV for disengaging the in the oyster. beds.y y i It is an' especially'important aim 'of the invenoySters from their supports tion to provide a' device which 'will be liable in a minimum degree to damage from submerged heavy articles, and whichwill havev'raking ydevices so constructed that they .will function'efor' steel construction, or other vconventionalforms (not illustrated), and may include any usual means of `propulsion and'steering, details of the latter twofeatures not being'y illustrated since they involve no essential novel partsof the present invention." y y l o l While my conveyor device ,may be' operated by y l any conventional powertak-offwor other operafectively, yet will be suicientlyfyielding to avoid damage or strain to the mechanism", and at the same time 'may -be readily replaced land renewed as required. "if y I It is a related impdrtantaim ofthe invention to enable the replacement orrenewal ofthe raking members without requiringra completerey` newal 'of the actual conveyor parts or heavy mechanism of the device. 'n f A further aim of the invention'uis to y'present a construction of harvester which will automatically adapt itself tovvariations in depth ofthe Wa' 25 terlin which it operates,` whilehdeliverin'g the harvest to a barge or the like afloat.` yIt is also :an importantl aim of the'invention to present-I an 'apparatus of the kind which 'may .be readilyv mounted upon anyusual ship or barge structure lsuitable for loading with oysterswithout inter-` fering with usual vessel-propelling means, steering devices and the like. i

'tive connection from the vusual lmarine power plant for the propulsion ofvessels, in the ypresent instance I haveillu'strated ay Diesel motor I I,

vmounted upon thegbottom of the hull'foffa'fbarge, with a reduction gearing l2 of conventional form,

operating a" main drive sprocket `I3,fby"`"which` the conveyor ofmy invention -i's` driven by means of heavy drive chain I4. In the present instance,

the bargeis illustrated' with vertical hull sides,

and securedto these-at each side lof thebarge there arejhe'avy structural steel legspII, Widely separated on their bases at veach`V` side, inclined toward each other-fupwardly, where they lare joined by c'onventionalgusset'plates I'I, in'which a mainV axle or shaft I8 is mounted horizontally, extending'between the two frames 'thus constructed vateach side of the barge. Uponthe shaft I8 at 'each side of the framework, there are mounted .radius frames y2I), comprising upper .andflower guide bars 2`I and 2,2,l'joined by a gusset plate 23 VAdditional objectsadvantages and features of o linvention reside in the construction, arrangement and combination of parts involved in the embodiment of the inventiomas will be apparent y `'description and accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a side elevation of aliarvester machine constructed in accordance with' my invention'.` f

Fig. 2 is a detail of the deliveryv end of the harvester formally illustrated as mounted upon a steel barge. j

y Fig. 3 is a similar' View of the gathering end of the harvester. u *n j Fig. 4 is Ka detail kcrosssectio'nof a' conveyor structure. f if Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan view thereof.

Fig. 6 is a detail elevationof onerof the raker devices in one embodiment.` s i i,

Fig. '7 is a detail elevation'in section .of a modi- I fied form of the raker device. f y Y There is illustrated a portionof a barge I0,.c"o`n suitably pivoted upon the shafts I8 to support one end of the radius frame pivotally. At the lower and outer end of thisA radius' frame, `it'restsl upon Aa.' sliding sledge, represented in the present in- -stance as a heavy channeliron runnerfZII at each side, 'upon' vWhich-*respective setsv of rforwardand' rearward bracket plates y2li and 2'I areere'cted, the yformer two carrying therebetween a shaft 28 4uponvwhich gusset plates 29, similar to the rplates 23, are pivoted, the plates 29 connecting the lower ends of the guide bars 2|` and 22 of theiradius The rearward brackets 21 support an frame. axley 30 lupon whichaharves'ting drum 3l isrejvolvably mounted, to one' end 4of which'a suitable sprocket 32 is secured 4by which it maybe-driven l .through the agency ofa V'chain 33 from the conv'eyornow to be described, and a' conventional f y' reversing gearing 33, on bracket `2'I.

The conveyor comprises two sprocket-drums mounted on the shafts I8 and 28,-respectively, the driving chain lll' being engaged. with theguppr one, while the driven chain33 to y'the drum3l is engaged with the lowerone, as illustrated in Figs. f v2 and 3, respectively. The conveyor proper'con-- ."sists'ofalink belt construction of approved'form, f

the link h elements of which are lsuitably spaced and VLarrangedto form; a' vgrid deck,vtheinter.

beds, as will be subsequently indicated.

laterally, and the plate 31 will be described,

eight inches being contemplated in the present instance. While the cable is relatively flexible, nevertheless, when formed in loops, of the size indicated, it will resist bending to such extent that the loops, when raking against an oyster bed, -will exert considerable force, sufficient to loosen oysters and draw them upwardly from the The loops may be secured to the plates 35 by removable clamp plates 31, by which the ends of the loops are anchored firmly upon the cross plates 35.

- As indicated 35", are provided in Fig. y6, the crossplates, as at with pairs of apertures 38 through which the ends of the-loops are inserted and turned laterally under the plate, and the clamp plates 31' are drawn upwardly against the laterally turned ends of the loops by a bolt 38 engaged through the plate 31 and screwed into the plate 35".

As shown in Fig. 31, each of rectangular voblong shape, are spaced apart approximately three inches for the size of loops indicated, and having a central aperture to receive a bolt 40 therethrough to screw into the plate 35. The endsof the cable are inserted downwardly through the apertures 38' and turned clamped against the respective means of the bolt-.40, substantially as shown. The plate 35 may be secured-upon the kconveyor by being welded to Irespective sets of transversely alined links of the conveyor, or otherwise, as found expedient. The drum 3|, like the conveyor, is provided with-a closely spaced series of transverse plates 35a, upon which cable loops 36 are secured in the same manner as upon the con- `then Yset over and vcross plate 35 by" 4, however, the clamp plates veyor, and the drum is preferably spaced insuch relation to the lower bracket drum 34 of the conveyor as to afford a space between the `conveyor and the drum sufficient to `permit passage of oysters incident to operation-of the machine, as

The height of the brac et 21 supporting the drum ris such that the lower periphery of the drum lies in very closerelation to theoyster bed or bottom 46 of the stream or other body of water in which the apparatus is operated. Also, the mounting of the shaft 28 in the brackets 26 is such as to bring the lower end portion vof the conveyor into close relation to the bottom 46 upon which the Sledge is moved.

The length of the radiusframe 20 may be pro-A portioned to the depth of water in which the device is to be used, e in comparatively shallow water, while others are located at greater depths, but the size of the loops 36 and the diameter of theY drumy 3| -maybel approximatelyl the same for all situations, although compensation may of uniformly small size, such sare found y.in some localities.

The apparatus may also ,be found useful for,

harvesting clams, mussels, Sponges, kelp, or other be made for oysterssomeextensive beds 'being yticularly that of the drum materials, especially materials which it is desirable not to break or bruise unduly in harvesting.

It should be noted that the lower guide bar 22 of the radius frame 20 is spaced further from the shafts I8 and 28 than is the upper `bar 2|. In consequence the lower reach of the conveyor may be supported on the bar` 22 while descending, as shown, preventing objectionable sagging of this part of `the conveyor. TheA upper reach of the conveyor ascends while slidably supported on the upper bar 2|, the ends of the bars 35 extending laterally of the conveyor link units so as to rest on the bars 2| and 22, as mentioned.

The chute 25extends under the upper end of the conveyor -suiciently to catch all material delivered by the conveyor, and serves as protection for the motor in part in the present instance if the latter is located as illustrated. The barge may also be provided Witha decking or other conventional protection, not shown, as may be found desirable. f e l It will be seen that in order -to restore or renew one of the loops 36, it is only necessary to loosen the bolt 4U at thev particular loop .requiring repair or replacement, and the ends of a loosened loop than reinserted through the plate 31 and the latter again vclamped to the plate by screwing in the bolt 40, or a new loop put in place as before described after removal of damaged cable ends. In this way only those loops which become damaged need be moved, without disturbing any other vparts of the conveyor, and without removal of any v'other loops lon the same plate 35.

In the use of this apparatus, the conveyor framing being installed upon a barge or other vessel arranged for being drawn by a towing vessel or equipped for self-propulsion'with the' conveyorand-sledge support trailing therebehind and suitable driving connections with the conveyor being made, as the barge progresses, the loops 36 of the conveyor move rearwardly in engagement with oysters upon the bottom 45, while the loops upon the drum 3| sweep forwardly upon the bottom with a 4movement faster than that Vof the loops upon the conveyor. The oysters are caught in the loops or before the sides of the loops which are advancing in either direction against the bottom 45,'and drawn in the direction of such relative movement ofthe loops upon the bottom and upwardly. Those oysters moved .by the ofthe conveyorand those of the drum 3| causes uthe opposedloopsto cooperate in lifting thek oysters between theconveyor and drum, and the greater speed of the drum at its periphery as compared with the rate of travel `of the conveyor,

causes the materialcarri'ed by the drum to drag ragainst-the rear sides 4of the loops of the conveyor, so that the oysters carried upon the loops of the drum will v bedragged off and caught by the conveyor. Centrifugal force developed in the oysters themselves, and by waterpassing radially outwardly from the drum will also contribute to discharge of ythe oysters onto the conveyor, soy that none will be lcarried upwardly and rearwardly over the drum 3|.

The speed of movement of the conveyor and the drum in functioning as described and parare preferably not such as to holdoystersA pressed in the loops of the drum too vfirmly to'prevent ready disengagement and movement to theconveyor, asfwill. be'appreciated. The drum 3|,r may consist of two simple foraminate circular heads,` one at each side, across which bars 35 are secured withoutintervening parts corresponding to thelink elements 35', so that a clearway is afforded between the bars 35 for' ready movement of water, and in 1Itis desired tokpoint out thatcptimum condi-- H tions are obtained by having every set of alternate the operation of the drum there will bea certain ,y

degree of outward movement of water between the bars dueto centrifugal action, which will tend to clear the drum of material carried thereby, as

may be understood.

While I have described the details of the bestr constructiony of the apparatus of m'y invention at' y present known to me, it will, nevertheless, be un-V derstood that various modifications maybe made in the construction, arrangement, and comb-ination of parts, substitution of materials and substitution of mechanical equivalents which th experience ofv those versed in oyster dredging may indicate, or which ther mechanical requirements of the machine may dictate, without departing from the spirit of the invention,'exc`ept as may be more specically indicated the claims hereto appended. v-

As shown in Fig. 1, there 'is provided a sprayer S, the objective of which is to surge water onto the oysters carried on the upper chain into the barge, thus flushing the dirt off ofi the oysters back into the water bed. This shower head may be located at any convenient point kon the' upper chain. However, if it is near the upper sprocket longitudinal links made of open loops, shown in Fig. '7, and closed loops, shown in Fig. 6, the objeCtive being that the actual digging or lifting will be done by the4 open end cables Whilev the picking up will vbe performed by the closed loop cables.

`In other words, the loopr shown in Fig. 6 has a pick-up action and the members shown' in Fig. '7 e' l otal movement thereon, a sledge in supporting rea baille or diverter plate can be placed over theV y barge to direct the'w'ashing water back into the water bed. .i

In the embodiment of the .raker device shown in Fig. 7, there are secured upon each of the conveyor plates a plurality 0f ODen end cables 36a, preferably made of steel Wire,l usually to of lan inch in diameter. The bent end of each cable member is secured between the cover plate v31a and the bed plate of the link a bolt or cap screw 39a.

lation tothe outerlend of the conveyor, a drum mounted revolvably i on' the Sledge in close spaced relation to the outer end of rthe conveyor,

and a multiplicity of sweep devices upon the drum at least, each consisting. of a short loop of resilient material of limited exibility, and releasable means to hold each loop in operative position.

2.l lHarvesting apparatus ofy the character describedcomprising a floating support, a trailing conveyor frame pivoted thereon for vertical movement at its outer. end; an endless conveyor thereon, runnersadaptedfor slidingmovement uponv a marine bottom supporting the outer end vof the conveyor, means to operate the conveyor,V a rotary drum mountedr on said runners outwardly of the conveyor, :operative connections. between the conveyor and the drum, sweep memf bers comprising vilexible loop devices mounted on said-drum, ,and a multiplicity of similar sweep devices mounted ron said'conveyor and arranged to intermesh and cooperate withthose of the drum.

Y., JOSEPH vMICHEL JURISICI-I. 

